There may currently be an increasing number of outages in Telekom customer service. The Verdi union is currently calling for a strike. This affects more than 13,000 employees.
Source: Photo by Mika Baumeister on Unsplash
Due to the ongoing collective bargaining, the Verdi union is calling on Telekom employees to go on strike in order to put more pressure on the telecommunications company. According to the Tagesschau, 13,000 people have already stopped working. Verdi expects almost 4,500 employees for the rally in Potsdam. The union is fighting for a new collective agreement that provides for a twelve percent increase in income over the next twelve months, but at least 400 euros per employee.
For customers, this of course means that some restrictions can be expected in Telekom’s customer service. This could lead to communication difficulties for several days. In addition, it is not yet clear when the situation will normalize if there is no agreement between employers and employees. Therefore, further strikes are to be expected.
Help from AI
If you need help in the meantime, Telekom offers some alternatives. But this is where AI comes into play.
Telekom offers its own chatbot called “Ask Magenta” to which you can describe your concerns. This digital assistant guides you to solve your problems using counter questions. You can get answers to contract questions, technical issues, and more. Alternatively, this is also possible via WhatsApp by contacting the number 0151/42227878.
Or you can contact the virtual assistant “Max”, which you can contact via the app or browser. Max is a computer-generated image of a human that uses ChatGPT to answer your questions. For example, Max can support you if you have defective devices, need to activate a SIM or need information about a telecom malfunction. Max is actually a visual version of the chatbot “Ask Magenta” with an AI connection. However, you can use the app to ask Max questions using your voice instead of typing in your request every time.
However, the resources of AI are limited. So, if you have a problem that goes beyond the knowledge of the AI, sooner or later you will be forwarded to employees. Of course, that means long waiting times. How long the strikes will continue is currently unknown.